


The Closest Star

by Tousled_Sky



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Age Difference, Alpha Victor Nikiforov, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Falling In Love, Getting Together, Homophobia, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Menstruation, Multi, Omega Katsuki Yuuri, Omega Yuri Plisetsky, Past Child Abuse, Pining, Polyamory, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Hatred, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2018-02-09
Packaged: 2019-02-22 06:04:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13160811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tousled_Sky/pseuds/Tousled_Sky
Summary: Yuri's five years old the first time his father calls him an Omega.





	1. Camouflage

**Author's Note:**

  * For [soliloqui](https://archiveofourown.org/users/soliloqui/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Kingdom Locked Up](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10511013) by [soliloqui](https://archiveofourown.org/users/soliloqui/pseuds/soliloqui). 



> HEADS UP:  
> This story WILL focus on a romantic relationship between two adults (25 & 28 years old) and a minor (17 years old). Reader discretion is advised.  
> That being said...y'all didn't think I was done with Yuri! on Ice with Violets Are Blue, did you? No, the trash lord (aka me) is back with another fanfic!  
> I'm so excited to finally post an Omegaverse fanfic! It's probably my favorite AU, and I don't see a lot of content for it. I'm also pretty keen on Yuri! on Ice and poly relationships, so this is just a lot of my fav things all together.  
> In case anyone's confused on the names: Yuri, Yurio and Yura are for Yuri Plisetsky, Yuuri and Katsudon are for Yuuri Katsuki, and Victor and Vitya are for Victor Nikiforov.  
> This is gifted to the lovely Soliloqui, whom is the author of the fic that inspired this one, Kingdom Locked Up! Go check out Kingdom Locked Up, because it's amazing - I'm eagerly awaiting chapter four, myself.  
> Enjoy, loves! <3

Yuri's five years old the first time his father calls him an Omega.

Yuri doesn't know what an Omega is, but he knows that it's a bad thing, and that it's his fault. He knows because his father screams it at him in the same tone that he uses to call Yuri _stupid, worthless, mistake, ugly, weak_. He knows because his father slaps him across the face as he yells that he'd rather have no child than a son who would grow up to be an Omega.

Of course, at the age of five, no one - not even a parent - can tell the secondary gender of a child. The state tests children, in school, at age fifteen - by then it's possible to determine the subsidiary gender by a blood test, if they haven't already presented. His father had no idea if Yuri was truly an Omega or not - he just got angry at Yuri because he'd found his ballet shoes. Yuri knew he was supposed to hide them, and he had, but apparently he hadn't been clever enough with his hiding place.

Now his face is stinging and his father is shouting at his mother, saying _dance is for girls, why would you coddle him like this, if he turns out to be an Omega - a male Omega, a freak, it'll be your fault. Why are we even bothering raising a child if you're just going to fuck it up like this._

All Yuri can do is pray that his father doesn't hit her too as he tries to clear the spots in his vision, lying on the floor, knocked to the ground from his father's slap.

He decides, right then and there, he doesn't want to be an Omega.

\---

Yuri doesn't open the envelope the teacher gave him until he's home from school.

Even when he gets home, he turns the paper over and over in his hands for a long time, afraid to open it, to see what's on the page. It feels like he's sitting in a courtroom, waiting for the jury to return. He's hoping - praying - that he'll just be a beta. Because he doesn't want to be an Alpha, doesn't want to be like his father - but he doesn't want to be an Omega, either. He's learned through his time alive that it's not just his father who is disdainful of the idea of a man being an Omega - Yuri's heard the bawdy locker-room talk from his classmates -"hey, do you figure fucking a male Omega'd be any different than fucking a girl?" The hate symbols spray-painted on the side of an Omega safehouse that offered refugee to male Omegas.

But Yuri's afraid to open the envelope because he thinks he already knows the answer. Knows the answer from the times when his already-presented Alpha classmates walk past, the pheromones and scents send pleasant shivers through him and make him weak in the knees. Knows the answer because not only did his father called him an Omega, his father also called him a faggot, when he was ten and wanted a Victor Nikiforov poster for his birthday.

And as Yuri has found out - much to his distress - he is, in fact, attracted to boys. He likes some girls, sure, but he likes boys quite a bit more.

When Yuri finally opens the envelope with shaking hands, he's devastated.

But he's not particularly surprised.

_Yuri Plisetsky: Ω_

\---

He hides it.

He hides it even though he's in a place that he'd most likely be safe. After all, _Dedushka_ might be old, but he's not as prejudiced as most of the people today are. He probably wouldn't be upset to find Yuri was an Omega.

But Yuri's still afraid. There aren't many male Omegas - it's only about 10% of Omegas - but he's still heard far too many stories of sons being kicked out, disowned, and even murdered for presenting as Omega.

And even if he's not afraid of his grandfather hurting him, Yuri is still ashamed and disgusted with himself for presenting as an Omega. Because somewhere within himself, he's still that slapped five-year-old, trying not to cry and promising himself that he'll never be weak, be an embarrassment - be an Omega.

And besides that, there's also the matter of his society. His society that murders their fourteen-year-old Omega sons by throwing them from rooftops. Omegaphobia - which applies specifically to male Omegas- is something Russia certainly is, just as much as it's homophobic.

Yuri can hide his bisexuality. He can laugh at "fag jokes" with the rest of his classmates in the lunchroom and feel safe from immediate violence, feel camouflaged (though, at the same time, he feels sick for propagating the cycle of violence).

He cannot hide his biology. Any day now, he could present. And the moment his Omega pheromones begin, everyone will know. He can only hide that he's an Omega for so long - there's a clock ticking down, one deep within his DNA. And once it hits zero, his camouflage will melt away, replaced with a bulls-eye target for anyone who decides they'd like to take a shot.

So he quietly buys heat suppressants and scent suppressants from an Omega-friendly clinic, buys Beta pheromone spray from a pharmacy in a different town where no one would recognize him, and lies to his grandfather, his classmates, himself.

_Yuri Plisetsky is a Beta._

\---

When Yuri switches to homeschooling and begins skating full-time, he begins spending far more time with his fellow skaters. Not just those whom are Russian anymore, but those from all corners of the Earth.

Very quickly, he gets the culture shock of his life.

Male Omegas from other countries _don't mask their scent._

Phichit is an Omega - his scent is like lilacs at dusk, the smell not only floral but also that of the fading sunlight, the promise of a sky full of stars and a beautiful moon. Guang Hong, another Omega, has a scent like autumn winds - soft as the blue of the autumn sky, warm as the evenings, and as bright as the changing leaves.

And Katsudon.

He smells fucking amazing. Of course, his scent doesn't have the same effect on Yuri as it would on an Alpha - Yuri is ~~an Omega~~ a Beta, after all - but Yuri still has to admit he smells better than any perfume he's ever smelled.

Yuuri has a scent like cherry blossoms at sunrise - sweet as the scent from the trees, warm as the rays from the sun as it climbs higher into the eastward sky, and as soft as the pastels that color the clouds at dawn.

It doesn't mean he dislikes Yuuri any less, though. Because Yuuri is engaged to Victor.

Victor, who was supposed to be _Yuri's_ coach.

\---

If Yuri's being completely honest with himself, it's not just about the coaching. It's about how badly Yuri wished Victor was his fiancee. Because he's fucking in love with him and has been for years - hell, he's had a crush on him since he was six years old, before he even knew what being gay was.

But Victor doesn't love Yuri back. He doesn't even look his way, doesn't remember his promise to coach Yuri - just forgets about him, because he's so enamored with Katsudon. And that's what makes Yuri so fucking angry.

Makes him hate Yuuri.

\---

Yuri presents in the middle of training for Four Continents.

He wakes up one morning to find his pajama pants soaked and sticky, clinging to his thighs as he shifts in bed. When he shoves the covers back, he finds the sheets beneath his body are painted red.

Washing blood out of sheets is a bitch, as Yuri's learned firsthand.

Menstruation is just another lovely part of being an Omega - males Omegas are able to conceive, so naturally they menstruate. He's just glad that his cramps aren't too bad most of the time.

He's not sure exactly when he presented - he knows menstruation begins after presenting as an Omega, not at the exact same time. If he weren't suppressing his scent, he'd be able to tell from the emergence of his Omega scent, but he's on suppressants just like always.

In all honesty, it's not like he _has_ to stay on suppressants. Hell, no one else on the teams suppresses their secondary gender - that is, unless one of the other Betas is actually an Omega who's just as good at hiding it as Yuri is.

(He knows the Alpha's aren't faking it - he's glad that artificial Beta hormones are more realistic than the awful Alpha imitation pheromones. He's smelled them before, and they just make him nauseous - like smelling formaldehyde might.)

((Also, they don't make his knees weak and his head swim like it does when he's too close to the Alphas for too long - Victor, in particular.))

But he keeps hiding it - masking himself as a Beta. Partly because it's just easier that way - he's already listed as a Beta for his skating. That's what his fans, his viewers, the world knows him as. To "come out" now as an Omega wouldn't _necessarily_ be a bad thing, but it still _might_ be - he doesn't know what kind of press coverage such an announcement would generate.

Also, fear and self-hatred are hard things to shake.

So Yuri keeps pretending that he's a Beta.

\---

Yuri's thrilled to have Victor all to himself for a week, when Katsudon has to go through a heat.

Usually, an Alpha would help their Omega with a heat. But that involves sex, and shy little Kastusdon wasn't comfortable with that so early in their relationship. So while Yuuri goes to a heat house, Victor stays and coaches Yuri for a week - and only Yuri.

Yuri feels much bolder than usual - he feels much flirtier and sexier. Of course, he doesn't flirt with Victor - Victor wouldn't like that at all. In fact, he might even get very angry at Yuri for doing so - especially now, when he's so fucking on-edge from his fiancee going through a heat solo. After all, it can't be fun for Yuuri - solo heats are said to be terribly painful for an Omega.

So Yuri doesn't flirt with Victor, no. But he does stare at him at every opportunity, daydreaming about if Victor had chosen _him;_  what his life would be like if Victor loved _him_ , if Victor was _his_ Alpha. He subconsciously rubs the back of his neck as Victor talks, watching his teeth and wondering what it would be like to feel them sink into the nape of his neck in a claiming bite, wishing he could feel it.

But it's not all doom and gloom, it's not him simply mourning that he doesn't have Victor and never fucking will. Rather, he's happy imagining these things, these daydreams where Victor is Yuri's Alpha - without Yuuri here, it almost feels real. Victor's pheromones fill the arena, settle over the ice like a fog, and Yuri wishes he'd gotten Eros instead of Agape because when he breathes in that chilled Victor scent - well, fuck if he doesn't feel like Sex on Ice as he skates.

Yuri's even bold enough to _steal_ from Victor - to wait until the other goes to refill his water in the hallway before pulling his coach's jacket from the bench and stuffing it into his own duffel bag.

That night, he falls asleep smiling with the jacket pressed to his chest, the smell filling his bed and making him feel as if the man he loves was there with him.

\---

Despite how freeing and fun it might feel - this sudden confidence boost that makes him fantasize about Victor - Yuri's not really sure where it came from.

That is, until he begins nesting.

He's watching the news one night after practice, wrapped in his comforter. It's only when he gets up to get a water does he notice that the comforter is no longer on his body, but had instead been arranged into a nest-like shape around him.

_Fuck._


	2. Inferno

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Knowing heat would suck is one thing.
> 
> Actually experiencing it was another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, chapter two! You guys have absolutely floored me, might I say - I never expected this to get so many views, but just from the first chapter there have already been over 500 views! That's completely nuts. I love each and every one of you, and I hope you like this new chapter <3

Heat suppressants are a fucking awesome invention, Yuri decides.

They made everything so much easier - _without_ heat suppressants, an Omega would, on average, go into quarterly heats - four a year. A week of heat every three months. _With_ heat suppressants, an Omega only went into heat once a year. At the end of the year's worth of suppressants pills, the 51st week's row is placebo pills, meant to trigger a heat for the 52nd week.

An Omega had to go into heat at least once a year. Some Omegas tried to skip a heat - to buy a new pack of suppressants on the 50th week, instead of taking the placebos that would trigger a heat. However, doctors across the world cautioned against this - skipping a yearly heat could deal a person some _very_ serious damage.

Yuri would've taken his chances and skipped anyways, if he hadn't been so distracted with training. However, his inattention meant that he hadn't noticed he was on the placebo pills until he was halfway through the week's worth and his heat was already triggered; as shown by the nesting behavior. Nesting was the first sign of heat.

Aka, the first sign that he needed to get the fuck out of town, as soon as possible. He can't stay where he is during heat - that's extremely dangerous, seeing how heat often makes Omegas delirious. Omegas will often stay with their Alphas for a heat, but for Yuri - for all Omegas without a mate, really - the best bet is a Heat House.

Heat Houses are safehouses for Omegas in heat, with the staff entirely composed of Omegas and Betas. Yuri finds one nearby, though trying to get a room is a bitch on such short notice.

His excuse for a week of absence from skating is a rushed and lazy one - he tells Victor that he needs a break from training and he's going to go see a friend. Victor's not happy about his "slacking", and Yuri's not happy about the quality of the lie, but he just doesn't have the energy for anything better. He's drained - from the stress from trying to find a heat safehouse on such short notice, from trying to find refills for his suppressants for when the heat is over, from trying to research heats - and he simply can't make the effort.

He considers taking Victor's jacket that he'd stolen along with him, in a moment of madness, but decides against it. He leaves it a corner of the locker room where Victor's sure to find it, instead - to make him think he left it there by accident.

Yeah, Yuri stole it and slept with it, but he's not fucking psycho enough to take Victor's jacket - the jacket of a happily engaged Alpha - to a heat house.

No matter how badly he might want to.

\---

From his scouring of health websites, articles, and internet forums on his incognito tabs, Yuri's learned some things about heats. He's learned that the first heat is the worst. That suppressing heats makes them much more painful. That going solo on a heat is very uncomfortable, and unsafe if you decide to stay in your house (it's easy for a heat-hazed Omega to accidentally hurt themselves - say, by falling down a flight of stairs).

Knowing heat would suck is one thing.

Actually experiencing it was another.

Maybe saying that heat "sucked" would be incorrect. State testing week sucked. Having a couple whisper and giggle right next to you in the theater throughout a movie sucked. Missing your flight and having to wait in an airport for five hours with a dead phone and no charger sucked.

But heat?

Yuri wonders if he hasn't actually died and gone to hell.

Yuri, thankfully, doesn't remember much of it once the week is over. The majority is just a haze, but are a few points he recalls fairly clearly; such as the nurses having to come in and sedate him because he was injuring himself. It wasn't on purpose; his skin itched so terribly that he didn't realize that he was hurting himself until he saw the blood under his fingernails from the scratching. He remembers sweating even while he was shaking from the cold, shaking from exhaustion. The restless, nightmare-filled sleep that just left him more exhausted when he woke up than he had been when he'd passed out.

(He remembers, much to his chagrin and disgust with himself, how he cried and sobbed for Victor through that whole week. He hates himself for it because Victor's not his to call. Victor's not his Alpha, and the sooner he can accept that and move on, the better).

He just prays that the next heat isn't quite so bad.

\---

Yuri remembers, back when he attended public school, that the Omega girls in his classes would always be absent for a week once a year. He recalls how all the other Omega girls in the class would look at the empty seat with sympathy, and how sweet everyone was to the missing girl when she came back after the week was up. The Omega teachers would give them extra time to complete their assignments, though they rarely needed it - the other girls would let them copy homework to catch up.

One thing that everyone did, but that Yuri never really understood, was to give freshly returned girls things from their lunches. Of course, he understands now that he's been through a heat of his own - heat takes a lot out of you and leaves you feeling fucked up and drained, like you're recovering from the flu. You get hungrier faster, and tired easier, for about a week afterwards. Extra food helps a lot.

Unlike those girls who were pampered after heat, though, no one knows Yuri's an Omega. So when Yuri gets back, he's not the Omega who just finished a traumatic first heat and sobbed the whole way through, and yet is still here at skating practice the _literal day afterwards_. Rather, he's the Beta who just took a week off to goof around with a friend instead of practicing for Four Continents.

Victor's _not_ happy with him - the elder skater is seething with anger and disappointment. He'll hardly talk to Yuri, let alone coach him. He won't help Yuri correct his form when he messes up a move, won't give him advice for what jump combination to use to fill in the holes in his set, won't tell him to get back on the ice after a break. All because he thinks Yuri was just playing around with a buddy for a week instead of training.

He thinks Yuri's not serious about skating.

It makes Yuri so fucking angry, because it's not true. He's serious enough about skating that he's here at practice even though he _just_ finished a heat, and should really be taking time to recover. He's still fucked up from heat; his limbs are still heavy and he feels essentially boneless, his skin is over-sensitive to the point where the icy air makes him feel like there are wasps beneath his skin - the tingle akin to how his gums felt sometimes when he bit down too hard on something too cold.

And yet, people don't think he's serious.

He takes the fury that makes him feel and channels it into skating; his blades slicing into the ice as aggression seeps into his Agape.

\---

It takes quite a while to get Victor to stop ignoring him.

During that time, Yuri works on his sets like never before. He goes through his sets with more determination than ever, and goes to the rink early and stays late. When he walks back to the inn at night, he's stepping through the snow in his socks, because the blisters on his feet are too severe to put his shoes on without re-bandaging his feet first.

It takes a week and a half, but Victor eventually skates over, unprompted, to correct Yuri's posture for a flubbed jump that Yuri can't seem to get right no matter how hard he tries.

After that, the tension between them sort of melts away, and by the end of the day, the air has eased to be almost normal. That night, at Yuuri's urging, Yuri walks back to the inn with the two of them instead of staying late. It's nice to have Victor finally looking at him, talking to him again; it puts Yuri in a good enough humor that he even smiles at one of Katsudon's stupid jokes. Katsudon looks positively shocked, before grinning at Yuri and proudly announcing to Victor that he "made Yuri laugh!" which is stupid, because Yuri didn't _laugh_ \- he _smiled_.

But he does laugh when he sees how floored Victor is at Katsudon's remark.

\---

The next day, Yuri's changing in his room - pulling on a new pair of jeans - when he hears a gasp.

Katsudon's standing in the doorway - of course he didn't knock, the piggy has no concept of privacy, damn it - and staring at Yuri's ankles, which are ringed with blisters, the skin swollen and torn. The sides of his feet are a patchwork of the same damaged skin.

Before he has time to react, Yuuri's in his room, sliding the door shut behind him and kneeling to examine his feet. Yuri protests, but he's silenced when he gets a glare from Yuuri with sternness he didn't know the older skater was capable of.

"Yuri, your feet! How did they get like this!"

Yuri grimaces - he's been hiding the pain he's been in, been hiding just how hard he's been pushing himself to prove himself to Victor again. "From practice. It's fine, they don't hurt." He lies, trying to sidestep him and leave, but Yuuri grabs Yuri's wrist with a death grip and yanks him to a stop. Yuri flushes and turns away, scowling.

Across from him, Yuuri sighs. "I don't get it, Yuri. Victor doesn't, either. You leave on vacation for a week, so close to a competition, and then when you come back you work harder than you ever have before. You even go so far as to work until you really hurt yourself," Yuuri gestures to Yuri's scabbed ankles.

Annoyed, Yuri turns to Katsudon, to tell him to stop being such a damn pain, but his irritation melts away when he sees the soft concern on the other Omega's face. He flinches with surprise when he feels Yuuri's hand slide down his wrist, coming to rest curled around his own hand, squeezing softly.

"Look, what I'm trying to say is...if you're having trouble with something, you can always talk to me about it, okay? You don't need to work so hard that you hurt yourself. I'm here for you, Yurio." Yuuri says, voice soft, tone gentle.

Yuri realizes, with a jolt, that it's not just Victor that he has a crush on anymore.

\---

Yuri is so absolutely fucked.

Being in love with just Victor is one thing. Hell, even having a crush on just Katsudon might not be so bad. But falling for a couple?

That just seems fucked up, to Yuri. He's always been taught that romantic love is between two people, and two people only - admitting to liking more than one person feels like admitting to a great moral weakness.

However, there's no denying that he likes them both. He's been enamored with Victor for a while now - he's enchanted by the grace and power that he moves across the ice with, like lightening cutting through the sheets of rain in a thunderstorm. He's captivated by that silver fringe that falls into piercing blue eyes. With the smile Victor gives Yuri when he's done a good job on his skating. He loves the caring and loving person beneath his cold exterior.

Yuuri is different, but Yuri's in love with that, too - how he's like a mirror image of Victor, in many regards. Yuuri's grace on the ice is fluid and smooth - like honey falling in swirls from a spoon. His hair is dark and thick and beautiful, slicked back to expose those eyes that are so dark and warm and deep. And he's so loving, openly and unapologetically - something Victor doesn't know how to be, yet.

Victor has issues with opening up, issues with giving his love away freely, but Yuuri doesn't have that problem; he's openly affectionate to Victor, and to Yuri (much to the blond's surprise). Despite their rough start, Yuuri seems to actually like Yuri and want to be his friend, and he isn't afraid to show his affection through compliments and conversation and touches. Yuri's ashamed at himself for being so aggressive towards such a sweet being for so long, just because he was too immature to see beyond "you're dating the person I love so fuck you".

Unlike how he feels about Victor, though, Yuri's attraction to Yuuri is anything but sexual. The way Victor smells makes Yuri want him all over him - his scent is like summer evening in the mountains; warm as the afternoon's air and as exciting as the sight of the dusk sky, as magical as mistaking airplanes for shooting stars. And overall, his smell is entirely _Alpha_ \- it makes Yuri dizzy, makes him want to throw his arms around his coach and press his face into his neck as he presses his body against Victor. It's a taste that fills his head and drives him crazy, makes him want more.

Yuuri is different. Yuri wants to run his fingers through that headful of lengthening hair, wants to hold his hand, wants to cuddle with him. Yuuri's scent is nice, and Yuri likes it, but it's entirely _Omega_ \- it has no more effect on Yuri than a Beta's scent would. It's not sexual, with Yuuri.

Even if Yuri's not too thrilled about having yet another unrequited crush, he is glad he finally put his head between his ears and doesn't really hate Katsudon anymore, because that was stupid and selfish and immature. They're not really friends, not yet; but to expect them to be instant best friends would be unrealistic. Still, there are moments that show that they're getting there, little things - like how they spend more time actually talking than just bickering now. How Yuri texts Yuuri a list of songs he thinks Yuuri could skate really well to in his next competition. It's how Yuri falls asleep at the table in the inn, working on documenting his choreography, and wakes up with a blanket draped over him that smells like cherry blossoms at dawn.

Victor is over the moon that his students are finally getting along better, and he's softer towards Yuri when Yuri is nicer to Katsudon. While the two Y(u)uri's were doing nothing but fighting over the past few months, courtesy of Yuri, Victor'd been in an almost constant annoyed state with the blond - because Yuri couldn't get along with Yuuri (he hated him, after all, for "stealing Victor").

But now that Yuri actually gets along with Victor's boyfriend, Victor is less of the aggressive Alpha protecting his mate that Yuri's seen in the past few months. Instead, he's the Victor that Yuri had known in the years before Yuuri. He smiles at him when they first see each other in the mornings, talks to Yuri during breaks and outside practice, he slings an arm around his shoulders as they walk or ruffles his hair as he passes back.

Yuri pretends to be annoyed at the playful touches, using irritation to mask how Victor's touches still make his heart race, and Victor just laughs at Yuri's scowl and teases him about bristling like a kitten.

Despite Yuri's protests, though, he enjoys the attention, the touches, from Victor. He loves how everything is easy between them again.

And, notwithstanding his two unrequited crushes, things finally feel right again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you can't tell, I didn't pay much attention to how competitions work in the anime, so I just put whichever competition wherever it's convenient for the plot ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯  
> Chapter 3 is on it's way, but I'm not sure when - I'm actually leaving on a trip tomorrow, and I'm not sure what kind of internet connectivity I'll have for the next few days, or if I'll even be able to bring my laptop. Either way, I hope you enjoyed!


	3. Changing Tides

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I'm back! Happy 2018!   
> I had a great time on my trip - I actually got to play Sims 4, and made my family up of Victor, Yuuri and Yurio! I think I did a pretty good job on the character designs- maybe if I get a Tumblr someday, I'll post the screenshots I took of them, haha. I couldn't get Yurio's face right as an adult, so he was their son - not my favorite relation (considering this fanfiction, that might be obvious XP), but it was still cute and fun.  
> Please enjoy the chapter, loves! <3

A turning point comes one night after they've returned to Russia.

Yuuri and Victor have moved into their own apartment - it's small but classy, a nice place. Yuri, on the other hand, is given living space by Lillia - she's out of the country, so she offers her unoccupied residency to her pupil. Yuri's grateful, he really is - her house is huge, and it's beautiful - but it's also terribly lonely. Whenever Yuri's "at home", he always still feels kind of like he's lost, feels like he still needs to go home.

He's just not really sure where "home" might be.

That changes one night, after a fucking brutal workout. Yuri's entire body hurts as he's tugging off his skating clothes in the changing room, switching into street clothes. He walks back out to the rink, internally groaning as he sees that Victor is still correcting Yuuri's forms - this could take anywhere from ten to thirty minutes for them to wrap up.

Yuri considers just going home - he's so fucking tired and sore, after all. But they always walk back together now, and Yuri knows they would wait for him. So he decides to wait, lying down on a bench near their duffles. He's still exhausted, though; it couldn't hurt to just...close his eyes for...a minute...

When he wakes up, it's in a place he only recognizes from pictures on Victor and Yuuri's Instagram, the ones with the tags of "new house" - he's never been here before. He stands and pads out into the hall a bit cautiously, having no recollection of how he got here.

Katsudon's in the kitchen, getting things out of the fridge and cabinets. When he looks up to see Yuri, he smiles - and damn if that smile couldn't light up the entirety of Russia. Yuri feels himself relax in the other Omega's calming presence, his trepidation forgotten.

"Hey sleepyhead, finally up?" Yuuri teases him good-naturedly. "You dozed off last night on the bench, and neither me or Victor had the heart to wake you up - not after you worked so hard yesterday. So Victor carried you here while you were asleep - you didn't even stir, you were out cold. How'd you sleep in the guest room?"

Yuri needs a moment to speak - the idea of Victor _carrying_ him is kind of overwhelming. He wishes he had been awake, to feel himself that close to that warm body, wrapped up in strong arms and that heady scent. He rubs his eyes under the guise of waking up, but he's really bringing himself back to the present.

"It was fine." Yuri replies, peering over at the island counter where Yuuri's working. "What are you doing?"

"Making pancakes!" Yuuri replies sunnily. "You want to help? We can surprise Victor - he's still asleep."

Yuri makes his way over, and Yuuri extends his phone to him - it's got a recipe on it. Yuuri explains the recipe to Yuri as the younger blond peers at the screen. Yuuri's standing right next to Yuri as he reaches over to scroll down the screen, their sides pressed together. Usually, if anyone steps even a bit into Yuri's personal bubble, he's got a big fucking problem with it, but having Yuuri pressed right up against him is nice. He's warm, his scent is pleasant, he's a trusted friend.

Likewise, if anyone else splashed pancake batter on Yuri, they would have hell to pay. But when Yuuri stirs a bit too vigorously and pancake mix jumps off the whisk to land on Yuri's cheek, he, surprisingly, doesn't lose his goddamn mind. Instead, he just playfully glares at Katsudon, dips the plastic spatula in the batter, and dabs the mix on the tip of Yuuri's nose.

A chuckle from the hallway makes both Omegas startle. Victor's leaning against the doorway, regarding the two in the kitchen with a fond gaze.

_Both_ of them.

Yuri can smell the pleased Omega pheromones from Katsudon, and he's sure if he wasn't on suppressants, he would be doing the same thing.

However, no amount of suppressants could hide the blush on his face.

\---

After that, sleepovers sort of become the standard. Yuuri will, almost without fail, invite Yuri over after practice to watch a movie or eat dinner, and Victor will enthusiastically second him. After the first few times, Yuri tries to refuse when they invite him - because, he thinks, there's no way they actually want him over this much. They're two grown men in love, after all - they must want some time alone without having a sixteen-year-old kid pestering them. Yuuri must just be asking to be polite, Yuri figures - he refuses because he doesn't want to make a pest of himself.

However, when he sees the way Yuuri's face falls alongside Victor's dejected expression when he refuses, he wonders if perhaps their offers, though frequent, are all genuine. And indeed, whenever he does come over, they don't ever seem like they're in any rush to have him leave - they seem to legitimately want him there.

Within a few weeks, Victor and Yuuri stop referring to the room down the hall as "the guest bedroom" and start calling it "Yuri's bedroom". His favorite clothes are over here now, as is his toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo. Nika can be found, fifty percent of the time, either curled up on top of the comforter of Yuri's bed or intently watching the birds pass by in the bay window, tail swishing as she stares out at the trees. The other fifty percent of the time she's curled up with Makkachin on the couch.

Yuri really isn't quite sure where he fits into this dynamic yet - he's still figuring out the two men he now lives with. He's known Victor for longer, of course. But things are still a bit strange between them; for a while, their relationship has been rocky, and now it's like they have to learn to be friends all over again.

Yuri's just glad they're not fighting anymore - the previous issues had stemmed from his anger at Victor, for leaving him behind in Russia as he headed to Japan to teach Yuuri. However, Yuri realizes now that was more about Victor being impulsive and doing what he wanted rather than him abandoning Yuri. Victor was a bit of an airhead when he had Yuuri on his mind, it seemed. He hadn't been trying to hurt Yuri, despite the fact that him leaving like he had had brought up a lot of abandonment issues that Yuri had been trying to ignore.

Victor really is trying, too, even if it is a bit difficult for him to get through to Yuri, seeing how Victor uses touch to speak just as often as he uses words. He's always hugging Katsudon from behind and nuzzling his neck in lieu of _Good morning_ , or tossing him onto the couch and peppering kisses along his cheeks to express _I love you._

So it's tough for Victor to show affection to Yuri, who has traditionally been just about as huggable as a cactus, but he really does care about him. Yuri can hear it in the terror in the man's voice when he calls out to him after Yuri fucks up a jump,  _really_ badly, and goes down on the ice _hard_ , face-first (and though he's okay aside from a bruised cheek and a mild nosebleed, Victor still makes him take a break and fusses over him). He can feel it in the hand mussing his hair, the limit to what physical affection he's tolerated from Victor in the past.

But that was the past - when Yuri had been so afraid of the world, so uncomfortable with himself, so frightened of being seen as _gay_ , that he shoved the other males in his life away from touching him at all if possible. Now, things are a little different - Yuri's had a lot more time to become more comfortable with himself and his identity, and he's far more willing to tolerate touch when in private instead of public.

This change is made evident when Katsudon hugs the blond - Yuuri hugs Yuri with no qualms, since he hasn't had Yuri shove him away in the past nearly as much as Victor has. And though Yuri scowls and flushes at the touch, he still raises his hands to pat Katsudon on the back rather than to shove him away.

The first time this happens, when Yuuri steps away, Yuri catches sight of Victor looking absolutely astonished at the exchange.

Yuuri speaks a lot with touch as well - that's something most Omegas do. Yuri doesn't, but his adversity to touch is based on his social conditioning to fear intimacy with other men - it's not rooted in his biology. In fact, most of Yuri's behaviors are conditioned, rather than natural - some by his society, trying to make him into what they deemed to be right. Others were from Yuri training himself out of Omega behaviors and into Beta ones - trying to stay safe in a place that hated him for how he was born. Yuuri never had to do that. He didn't grow up with the same fears as Yuri - didn't grow up in a place where who he was made him unsafe.

Yuuri and Yuri might not have known each other for very long, and might have fought for the first half of the time they'd known one another, but Yuuri seems to really like Yuri anyways. It shows through his tactility - he's always laying little touches on Yuri. Pats on his back, fingers brushing his arms, hands resting on his shoulders. More than once Yuuri's been caught up in the moment and kissed Yuri's blond hair, or his forehead - a Omega's way of showing platonic affection. He always looking mortified when he caught himself, apologizing profusely, with Yuri at a loss for words and bright red.

But it's not like Yuri was complaining.

Quite the opposite.

  
\---

Movie nights are common.

Movies are easy - you just flip through Netflix until you find something that looks good, and start it up. And easy is nice after a day of tough practice. Yuri like action movies, Yuuri like romances, and Victor favors comedy. Yuuri and Victor usually cuddle on the couch, while Yuri sits on the floor - that way, he's closer to the screen, and the two lovesick dorks are out of his field of vision.

To their credit, though, they usually aren't too sickeningly sappy. Once, and only once, Yuri could hear them kissing behind him and had to get up and leave, afraid he'd start crying. As he stood, the noises stopped, and he could feel their eyes on him all the way to his room, could hear uneasy murmurs through his closed door after he had retreated.

One night, however, as he's settling on the floor, Yuuri nudges his shoulder. When Yuri looks up, Yuuri pats the empty space between him and Victor on the couch.

"Cat are allowed on the furniture in this house, little kitten." Victor teases. "Come sit with us - it's comfier than the floor."

Yuri doesn't really get why they're offering - don't they want to cuddle each other, like always? But at the same time, he's not about to pass up on an offer sit with two of his favorite people on either side of him.

He settles into the middle of the couch, Victor and Yuuri warm on either side of him.

That becomes the default seating arrangement from then on. On the first few nights, Yuuri and Victor hardly touch Yuri - really, the only contact is the occasional, usually accidental, brush of shoulders. As the weeks go on, though, Yuuri will start cuddling up against the blond as the movie goes on, will gasp and grab his hand during scary part.

Victor touches him as well - he's been more tactile lately, after seeing Yuri responding positively to Yuuri's touches. The touches start out teasing, light - he'll prop his arm up on Yuri's shoulder, teasing him about being the perfect size as an armrest. However, when Yuri doesn't swat him off, Victor ends up cautiously stretching an arm across Yuri's shoulders. Though he tries to seem casual about it, Yuri can see right through him - half from having known the man so long, and half by virtue of his scent - and he can tell Victor's nervous about Yuri's reaction.

If Victor tried something like this in public, Yuri would sputter like a broken engine and shove Victor away while cursing - "What the fuck Victor, get off me! That's gross!" He's done it before, and even now, he would do the same thing if there were other eyes on them. In public, he's hyper aware of other's perception of him; he has to be. In his violently homophobic society, appearing comfortable with being touched by the same gender could get him killed - pushing Victor away is a survival habit, and a hard one to shake.

But here, it's only them - himself, Yuuri and Victor. Just the Japanese man with his head on Yuri's lap, with his legs hanging off the edge of the couch as the reflection of the movie play on his glasses. Just Victor, pressed warm against Yuri's side, smelling amazing as always and his arm a pleasant weight along Yuri's shoulders.

So Yuri doesn't shove Victor away. Instead, he just leans into the touch, letting his head rest on Victor's shoulder. He resolutely doesn't look up at Victor's face, but can smell Victor's scent shift from nervous to content.

Yuri just smiles and hopes his blush isn't visible in the dark room.

\---

Yuri might be fairly young (he turned seventeen a few months ago), but he's not as naive as everyone seems to expect him to be. He knows about sex (he has internet connection, after all), he knows about heartache (case in point, him being infatuated with Victor for years now), he knows about flirting.

And he can tell that Victor and Yuuri's affections towards him seem to be bordering on flirting. But that just doesn't make sense - why would they flirt with him? They're a happy, engaged Omega and Alpha pair. Happily engaged couples - especially an Alpha and Omega one - don't flirt with gangly, irritable little Betas.

He could chalk it up to both of them being very physically affectionate, but it feels like more than just that. It's the way Victor's scent shifts when he's around Yuri lately; it's not like it was when Yuri was a little boy. This scent could almost be mistaken for something that's not entirely platonic.

It's in the look Yuuri gives him when he touches him - that warm fondness. Now, though, Yuri thinks he can see want in those soft eyes as well. It's in the time when Yuuri accidentally kisses Yuri on the face again, before tensing as he catches himself and pulling away, red-faced and apologizing. Yuri rolls his eyes and shoves his shoulder lightly, scolding ,"Friends kiss each other, Katsudon. Don't be sorry - it doesn't bother me." It's how Yuuri kisses him more than ever after that; little pecks on his blond hair, on his forehead, and if Yuuri's especially bold, on Yuri's nose or cheeks.

However, Yuri can save his contemplation about the actions of his crushes for later. Right now, he has bigger issues. Like finalizing his routine for the competitions that are coming up scarcely in a month, and then his heat that's immediately afterwards - he's going to be on placebos the entire week of Four Continents, and has to go to a heat house the literal day after.

He can focus more on falling hopelessly in love with his roommates once he's taken gold.

\---

Yuri's hormones are not doing him any favors in the week leading up to Four Continents.

Placebo week always lends some...distractions to Yuri, as his Omega habits flare up full-force when he's off the suppressants and coming up on a heat. It doesn't help that the three of them are sharing a hotel room. It's not like Yuri wants his own room; in fact, Victor's suggestion that they share was something that Yuri agreed readily enough to. It's just so much harder to hide his heat instincts when he's sharing not only a living space with them, but when that living space is a tiny, two-room hotel room.

Yuri's still taking his scent suppressants normally, though he'll have to go off them once he's actually in heat, as the release of pheromones is essential to completing a full heat. However, even with his scent masked, he's afraid his strengthened Omega behaviors may give him away. He catches himself tugging at his sheets one morning to re-arrange them into a nest and flushes furiously, smoothing them back out while Yuuri gives him a curious look. The next day, when Yuuri hugs him, he finds himself nuzzling back; pressing his face into the other man's neck and hair. It's a common way for two Omegas to show affection to one another, but Yuri Plisetsky is supposed to be a beta.

It takes a moment before he catches himself. This time, he doesn't flush, but feels his skin go pale and cold from the terror that he'd been too blatant, that he'd been caught. When he pulls back, he sees Yuuri staring at him with wide eyes, but thankfully, his face is just colored with surprise - not realization.

It's the same kind of thing with Victor, only the behavior set shifts to Omega on Alpha rather than Omega on Omega. Yuri finds himself melting more to the little touches Victor gives him in practice or in passing, trying not to shiver when Victor corrects his posture and is so close, so warm, eyes and hands on Yuri. Late in the week, when Victor tugs Yuri against his side one night as they're walking back to their room, Yuri actually catches himself starting to tilt his head forward to expose the nape of his neck. An Omega exposing their neck to an Alpha is an invitation to bite - something which has extremely intimate implications.

Yuri catches himself mid-tilt, his steps faltering before he jerks his head back to where it should be. Thankfully, it seems like Victor didn't notice him showing his neck - he glances over with a questioning look from the motion of Yuri snapping his head back into place, but he doesn't say anything.

Yuri wouldn't say he's eager for his heat to start, but he _is_ eager to just get it over with - before his own stupid, traitorous biology gives him away.

\---

One thing that Yuri's very anxious about regarding his heat is how he's going to excuse himself for an entire week.

So far, he's been very good about hiding his Omega from his housemates. Whenever he wakes to blood on the sheets, he manages to clean the stains without either Victor or Yuuri noticing. He keeps up with his suppressants and Beta spray - even better than he did when he lived alone, actually - and he hides the pills and bottles in places that neither Victor nor Yuuri would ever think to look.

But he doesn't know how he's going to hide this. He can't stay with Yuuri and Victor for his heat - it's absolutely not an option. He has to go to a heat safehouse. But he doesn't know what he's going to say about his disappearance this time - his last excuse went over like a ton of fucking bricks.

At least he has a lot more options that he did last time, when his heat caught him by surprise. The first option, and his decidedly least favorite, is to tell Yuuri and Victor the truth. Tell them, "Hey, I'm an Omega, and my heat's coming, so I need to leave for a week". That would lead to a lot of questions that he's not ready for yet. In addition, it would also mean admitting to them - and to himself - his true Omega nature. And though that idea isn't quite so terrifying as it was a year ago, when he was still so very uncomfortable in his own skin, it's still something he's not yet ready for. He's still afraid, still feels unsafe imagining admitting such a thing.

He does want them to know, someday. But he can't tell them - not now. Not yet.

He does have other options, though. Option 2 is to tell them he's going to his grandfather's for the week, but this doesn't seem like a safe bet - they have Dedushka's phone number, and if they called to check on Yuri and he wasn't there, it'd be a disaster. And it's not like he can very well call up the old man and ask, "Hey, can you tell Victor and Yuuri I'm staying with you next week? I can't tell you where I need to go, just that it's really important". His poor grandfather would probably have a heart attack.

He settles for option 3 - telling them he's staying with Otabek for a week after the competition. Otabek is a skater as well, meaning Yuuri and Victor know him and would likely be comfortable with Yuri staying with him. It's a believable tale, since Otabek and Yuri get on very well - they text each other regularly, and Victor and Yuuri know it, since Yuri's always curling up next to them, saying "Check out these memes Otabek sent me today".

Perhaps most instrumental to the success of this plan, though, is that neither Victor or Yuuri have Otabek's number, so they won't be able to call him and ask him how Yuri's doing. Just to be safe, Yuri considers calling Otabek and begging for him to cover for Yuri if they do contact him somehow, but decides against it - that would lead to unnecessary questions. Besides that, it doesn't seem fair to put that kind of pressure on someone.

He's nervous, but it'll work out. He'll be okay.

This'll be _fine._


	4. A Sober Heart

Yuri, despite his best efforts, does not win gold at Four Continents. He ends up winning Silver, with Victor taking Bronze. Katsudon came in fourth, which he was none too thrilled about. Yuri feels bad for him - Yuuri worked really hard this season, and though you obviously can't win them all, Yuuri takes after Victor in placing a great amount of his self-worth on how well he performs in skating. To not even place was a major blow to him, despite his fans insisting that he deserved a higher score and that his performance was fantastic (which it was).

Though Yuuri is clearly disappointed, both he and Victor congratulate Otabek graciously regardless - the winner of Gold. Though Yuri might not want to say that anyone did better than his crushes, he has to admit that Otabek had one hell of a performance. He clearly worked hard, and his score is deserved.

Yuri might be disappointed, but he's not bitter - in fact, he's happy. It's nice to see a friend succeed, especially one as amazing as Otabek. Hell, Yuri thought Otabek might beat him even before the competition, just from watching him practice. In the past week, they've been skating together quite a bit during practice - it's nice to be able to finally catch up with his friend.

And - that's really all they are, is friends. Yuri catches Yuuri and Victor glancing over at him and Otabek talking once or twice, and can tell from their faces that they're wondering just what kind of relationship the two of them have.

Wondering if they're together.

Yuri can't blame them - he and Otabek are super friendly to one another, after all. And though Yuri thinks Otabek's cute and all, and Otabek seems to think the same about him, it doesn't seem like a romantic relationship is on the cards.

And it's not like Yuri just hasn't thought about it - hell, last winter, Otabek even kissed him, and he kissed back.

But in the end, Yuri just doesn't feel the same way about Otabek that he does about Yuuri and Victor. And that doesn't mean that their relationship is bad - it's just different.

Just friends.

\---

Though Yuuri was still gloomy about not placing, he cheered up quite a bit at the post-competition banquet. Victor was a ham as always, taking Instagram and Snapchat selfies with anyone and everyone who had a cell phone out - honestly, he was more enthused about selfies than The Chainsmokers. He would often pull a blushing Yuuri into the frame with him, and even managed to tug a bristling Yuri into a couple, before Otabek graciously saved the blond from Victor-sanctioned Selfie Hell™.

Otabek and he managed to find a place to stand mostly out of reach of Victor. They quickly got deep into a conversation about the lyrics of a new album release, with Yuri periodically pausing the discussion to dodge Victor whenever he darted in to grab Yuri for a picture. Yuri would have to set down his glass every damn time to avoid spilling it - he had opted for some sort of fruity punch that was provided, while Otabek had grabbed a water bottle. Yuri rather liked the punch - it tasted kind of like the juice boxes he'd loved as a child. Though it did have a weird, sharp undertone that wasn't too pleasant, the sugar mostly masked it and it was still preferable to the alternative of water.

"Yuri, are you okay? You seem really distracted. Your face is super flushed, too." Otabek noted about an hour into the evening. It took Yuri a few moments to be able to come up with a coherent response - indeed, he was finding it more difficult to gather his words, with rational thought suddenly evading him.

"Yeah, I'm fine - just tired." Yuri replied. He was feeling rather drowsy - more so than what was usual for after a competition, actually. He didn't have time to dwell on this thought, however, because Victor materialized in front of him out of nowhere like a fucking wizard and reached for Yuri's arm.

"C'mon, Yuri, just take one picture with Christophe and I! It'll be fun!" He sang, obviously a bit tipsy.

Strangely, that didn't sound like such an awful thing now, like it had an hour or two ago - actually, it almost sounded fun. But Yuri responded automatically with,"Like hell that'd be fun!", sidestepping as Victor reached for him. Victor made a face at him like he was gearing up, and Yuri threw back his entire drink in one go, the liquid burning in the back of his throat - that way, there was nothing left to spill as Victor lunged for him moments later, with Yuri deftly avoiding the grasp of his coach.

Or, at least, that's what he tried to do.

The next thing he knew, he was on his back on the ground, blinking up at the spinning ceiling. Otabek's and Victor's disquieted voices were overlapping, the younger Alpha kneeling next to him while the older seemed shocked, the surprise and concern sobering him quickly.

It all seemed very funny suddenly, and Yuri broke down into fits of giggles. Victor's scent turned even more concerned and also quite confused, while realization dawned upon Otabek's expression.

"Victor, what's that pink juice in the bowl on the table?" He asked.

Victor frowned, clearly not understanding the connection. "Margaritas, why?"

Otabek's scent spiked into irritation as he muttered something about proper labeling. "Yuri's had a glass or two of that tonight."

"Yuri!" Victor and Yuuri's shocked voices scolded in sync - Katsudon had hurried over when he had seen Yuri fall, and had picked up on the conversation since.

"I thought it was - lemonade, or something." Yuri answered, excuse feeble-sounding but true. "It's not labeled - look, even Kenjirou is drinking it." He defended himself, gesturing to the short nineteen-year-old filling a glass with the liquid, despite being a year shy of the legal Japanese drinking age.

"Minami-san, give me that!" Yuuri cried, standing and going over to the now-confused young Beta. Otabek sighed, hooking his arms under Yuri's arms to hoist him up to his feet. Standing made Yuri more dizzy, and he fell back against Otabek's chest momentarily.

He couldn't be sure, but he thought he scented a momentary shift in Victor's pheromones to anger, to jealous. Before he could be sure, though, his coach was pulling him from Otabek.

"Sorry, Otabek, but I'll have to be stealing Yuri for the rest of the night - it's not a good idea for him to stay in public while intoxicated, however unintentionally it might have been." Victor answered, his voice sunny but with a sharp edge.

"Yeah, we can't have him trying to outdo me at drunk dancing." Yuuri joked, having returned from reliving Kenjirou of his margarita. This struck Yuri as far funnier than it usually would have, and he giggled all the way out of the banquet hall and some ways down the hall.

"Geez, you must have really drank quite a bit - usually, you'd just groan at a joke like that, and now you're laughing like - oh geez," Yuuri lamented as Yuri suddenly slid to the floor. Though Yuri'd had quite a bit and been able to stand in the party, the entire margarita that he'd tossed back - hoping to avoid spilling when the Selfie Monster re-emerged - was starting to make itself known.

"C'mon, up we go." Katsudon encouraged, trying to pull Yuri to his feet, but to no avail. A sigh from Victor, and Yuri suddenly felt himself being scooped up into the air - the disorientation doing no favors for his already queasy stomach.

However, being so close to Victor's scent made up for that.

Victor's scent was nice. So nice. Without even thinking, Yuri locked his arms around Victor's shoulders and buried his face into his coach's neck to be able to scent him better. The only response this elicited from Victor was to walk faster to the hotel room.

"Geez, you really drank a lot, huh? It was irresponsible of them to not label the drinks properly." Victor mused while kicking the hotel door shut. "C'mon, to bed with you." He addressed Yuri, dropping the teen on his bed.

However, somewhere during his transit of the younger Russian, Yuri had gotten his arm hooked through the strap of Victor's shoulder bag. This resulted in not only Yuri falling to the bed, but Victor as well - directly on top of the blond.

Yuri hardly heard the shocked little gasp from Yuuri at the scene, and couldn't quite fathom why Victor looked so perturbed with this new position. Yuri rather liked it - Victor was heavy, but his weight was pleasant, and he was so warm. And he was right there - _right there_.

Uninhibited at this point, Yuri threaded his hands through Victor's silver locks, staring up into those blue eyes. Victor squirmed, trying to free himself, trying to speak to Yuri.

"Yurio-"

"Kiss me, Vitya."

This resulted in a much louder gasp from Yuuri, and a flurry of motion from Victor as he tugged himself free from Yuri's drunk-clumsy grasp, detangling his bag's strap. He was off the bed and backing away in a matter of moments, and Yuri found himself blinking at the sudden loss, struggling to sit up.

Victor was staring at him - not with disgust, or anger, but with caution and restraint. Similarly, Yuuri didn't seem particularly angry, but rather surprised.

Before either of them could speak, Yurio spoke again.

"I love you." He blurted, staring at Victor, before shifting his gaze to Yuuri, addressing the Japanese man in addition to his coach. "Both of you."

Victor flushed slightly, while Yuuri opted for turning red from hairline to neck.

"Shhh, Yuri, you're drunk. Let's go to sleep, okay?" Victor tried, but Yuri shook off the idea of sleep - as appealing as it was - to reaffirm himself.

"Yes, I'm drunk, but I mean it. I love you guys. I love you like you love each other." He said, the words slurred a bit but strong and true.

Victor and Yuuri glanced at one another, something unreadable passing between each other in their gaze. Victor came over to the side of Yuri's bed, leaning down over the teen, and for a wild moment Yuri thought Victor was actually going to kiss him.

Instead, he simply rolled Yuri onto his side, pulling his shoes off and the sheets up. "Sleep on your side, okay? That way if you throw up you don't die."

As he went to leave, Yuri grabbed hold of his hand, preventing him from leaving. "But - I love you." He responded, eloquence escaping him. He didn't understand how their conversation no longer included this vital point. Did Victor...not love him back? The idea made cold dread form in Yuri's stomach.

Victor pulled his hand from Yuri's, but his face was soft, and when he spoke, it wasn't the cold rejection that Yuri had been afraid of. "I know, Yura, I know. But for now, you need to sleep, alright? We can talk about it more in the morning." His scent was warm, soothing, protective. It was calming.

Yuri nodded, placated by the promise of a later discussion and by the Alpha's scent. "M'kay." He agreed, dropping back to lie on his side, the exertion and intoxication working in tandem to make him twice as drowsy as he might usually be after a competition.

He drifted off to the soft sound of Yuuri and Victor's voices, the sound just a murmur as the pair discussed something just out of his range of decipherable earshot.

  
\---

Waking up to the morning sun feels like waking up to life screaming "Fuck you, asshole," at him, Yuri decides.

He's got a hell of a hangover, despite his youth - his misconception that a very strong alcoholic drink was actually a harmless fruity beverage caused him to drink quite a bit, and now he's paying out the ass. He groans softly at the pain, raising his hands to cradle his head. The sound and movement ground him in reality, pull him fully from sleep, and he resists the urge to curse and slam his head against the nearest hard surface as the events of the previous night hit him full force.

_Kiss me, Vitya._

_I love you. Both of you._

Yuri's heard that some people drink to forget, but he sure as hell remembers every goddamn stupid thing he said. What the hell was he thinking? Victor and Yuuri are _engaged_ , for the love of god. They love _each other_.

They're _taken_.

Yuri sighs, squinting in the early morning light coming in through the blinds of the hotel window. It's a bit too bright for his hungover tastes, but the fact that he can see two beautiful people whom he cares very much for (without having to face them yet) makes up for it.

Yuuri and Victor and sleeping on the other bed in the hotel room, all tangled up in each other. Their arms and legs are slung over each other, cuddled up, soft and calm. They both look so peaceful, so happy.

So happy _together_.

Yuri's always loved watching them sleep back at home (shut up, it's not creepy) - seeing Victor drift off during a cheesy movie, feel the elder lean against him as he slipped into dreams. Or going in to wake Katsudon for breakfast and just taking a moment to watch him breath softly with sleep-mused hair, sleep-mused clothes.

But watching them now hurts him. Because they're the picture perfect couple, and he's not in the frame. He's not even close. And he might have just ruined his relationship with two of the people he loves most in the world last night - they have to be creeped out by being confessed to by a seventeen-year-old, don't they?

He's so glad they're asleep. Because when they wake, he's sure that they'll have a talk with him - a rejection, because they're happily in love with one another, after all. Maybe them telling him it'd be best if he went back to Lilla's place, because it's just a little too weird for them to be sheltering a kid who's got it bad for them.

"I'm such a fucking idiot", Yuri laments, the words muffled as he presses his face into the soft fabric of his pillow. God, if only he could take back everything he'd said last night.

_Drinking to forget..._

Well...maybe there was a way that he kind of could. If he didn't remember what he said...then it was almost like he didn't say it at all, right?

As this thought spawns in Yuri's mind, someone taps at the door. Yuri lifts his head to see Victor stir slightly, and stands quickly to get the door before the person knocks again and wakes the other two skaters completely.

The person knocks again anyways before Yuri can get to the door. Yuri pulls it open mid-knock, standing stupidly when he sees who it is.

"Beka?"

"Hey Yuri." Otabek grins down at him, reaching over to smooth his blonde hair down. "Nice bedhead."

Yuri swats his hand away playfully, feeling so much better just in Otabek's presence, the anxiety of just moments before lessened. "Aw, shaddup. What are you doing here? Don't you have a flight to catch?"

"Don't be so eager to get rid of me, Yuri". Otabek teases back. "I rescheduled it - I decided to look around Tokyo with a couple other friends. We're leaving in about 45 minutes, and I wanted to know if you wanted to come along too."

Time with Otabek sounds amazing. Yuri glances back into the hotel room nervously, seeing the bed that Yuuri and Victor share shifting with the movement of people waking.

The fact that going with Otabek would get him away from what will doubtlessly be a crushing conversation was just a bonus.

"Give me like ten minutes."

"Good morning, sleepy beauty," Yuuri murmurs from the bed, sitting up as Yuri walks back in. Yuri breathes in deeply, trying to play it off like he didn't just tell him that he loved them last night.

"Good morning yourself." he teases back lightly, starting to pull the things he'll need with him into his backpack. Phone, wallet, sunglasses. He pulls on a new t-shirt, looping a belt through last night's jeans and finding a jacket from somewhere on the floor.

"Hey - slow down a bit there." Victor says, reaching out and taking Yuri by the wrist, pulling the blond so he's facing him. His grip loosens a bit and his hand slides down Yuri's wrist until he's almost, but not quite, holding the younger boy's hand. "I think - we should talk about what happened last night."

Fuck. Time to go for it - all or nothing. Yuri puts on his best confused expression, pretending like he's searching his memory and coming up empty. "About...me getting drunk? That was an accident, Victor. Am I grounded?"

Victor shakes his head. "Not about that - about what happened afterwards. About what you said."

"What I said?" Yuri echoes vacantly. "Did I say something bad? The last thing I remember is falling in the banquet room, and then again in the hallway...I think Victor carried me?"

Victor and Yuuri exchange uneasy glances, and it's Yuuri that speaks next. "So you don't remember getting back to the room?"

"No, not at all." Yuri shrugs, trying to look uncomfortable (which, considering the situation, is not terribly difficult). "I don't want to cut you guys off, but I promised Otabek that I'd hang out with him last night before I got blackout drunk - I think we're already late." He lies, nodding towards the doorway. Otabek gives a little wave as three pairs of eyes train on him.

Victor and Yuuri look at each other again for a long moment, and finally Victor sighs. "Alright, go ahead. Just be safe, be careful. We'll talk to you later tonight - hopefully you'll remember by then."

"Alright, for sure. See you guys then, okay?" Yuri answers, pulling on his shoes and backpack, hurrying out of the room to Otabek.

"Huh, not even a shower? You must be really eager to see Japan." Otabek teases. Yuri shrugs.

"Hardly. I mean, we come to this area a lot, whenever we train near Katsudon's inn." He responds, trying to sound lighthearted. However, he must sound just about as miserable as he feels because Otabek frowns, reaching out to touch his cheek, to gently angle Yuri to face him.

"Hey, everything okay? You seem sad." He asks, concern evident in his words.

Yuri can't tell him the truth. Otabek would probably think he's a freak for crushing on two people so much older than him - hell, everyone seems to expect those two to be like his dads, for christssake. Which just makes Yuri so much creepier for liking them.

Instead, he opts for a more acceptable, though less true, story. "...I'm just not really getting along with Yuuri and Victor right now. They're mad at me for getting drunk at the party last night - they don't believe that I did it on accident, and they're saying that my 'behavior is a problem,'" Yuri lies, amazed at how easily it rolls off his tongue.

Otabek gives him a sympathetic look, dropping his hand from Yuri's face, instead sliding his arm across the blond's shoulders in a half-hug. "They're just mad 'cause they're worried about you. Don't take it personally - that's just how parents are."

Yuri grimaces. _Parents._ Fuck, that hurts.

"Yeah, I guess." Yuri agrees lamely, hollowly. "Can I use the shower in your room? I feel gross but I couldn't stay there any longer."

"No problem, just make it quick. I've only got the room an hour longer." Otabek pats him on the shoulder. "Don't let them get you so down, buddy."

Yuri manages a smile, and from Otabek's returning grin, it must have looked at least half-sincere. Impressive, considered everything hurts on the inside.

"Yeah, you're right." Yuri says, and now his voice tone is a lie - sounding like he's okay with it when he's really not.

"After all, they're just being good parents."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damn, Yurio, try being a little more salty, why donch'a.   
> Chapter five is on it's way! Until then, I hope you enjoyed four, loves! <3


	5. Dam Break

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 1973 hits? My god, how my readers spoil me.  
> Honestly, I just want to thank all of you for reading this. This is by far my most popular fic - something that I never expected. I'm so honored to be able to share my writing with so many amazing people. I love you all so much, honestly. <3  
> That being said, please enjoy this chapter!

By the time Yuri's finished with his shower and is re-dressed, coming out of the bathroom, there's a small crowd of people in Otabek's room. Ten, maybe fifteen. Yuri anxiously scans the crowd, wondering if anyone invited Victor or Yuuri, but he doesn't see them. It's just a couple skaters and their friends/family.

"Hey there." Otabek reaches over and pats Yuri on his damp head. "Ready to go?"

Yuri tugs self-consciously on the shoulder straps of his backpack - he gets a lot more anxious and nervous when he's upset about something. "Sure."

Seeing the city is actually kind of fun, despite it being fucking freezing. Yuri thinks his wet hair is probably freezing together in the winter air. He's tries not to think about last night as much as he can, but he's sure he'd be enjoying himself a lot more if the issue was already resolved. As it is, though, the city serves as a welcome distraction.

That is, until his phone's alarm goes off for the third time today. Yuri pulls it out of his pocket, internally groaning as he reads it.

_Ten hours left_ , the display reads, and Yuri knows there's only two hours until his flight back to Russia. But he's not going back to Victor's house, no - Russia is where his heat safehouse is at.

"What'cha looking at?" Otabek asks him, glancing over at Yuri, who's focusing on his phone. "More memes?"

"Hah, I wish. Victor and Yuuri just texted me - reminding me that my make-up flight is leaving in an hour or two." Yuri lies. "I should probably get a cab to the airport, but thanks for letting me hang out with you guys today - it was fun."

"No problem, Yuri." Otabek replies, pulling Yuri into a hug. Yuri feels lips press against his frozen hair, the feeling reminding him of Yuuri, and he swallows hard to keep the tears at bay. Otabek notices his expression when he pulls back and squeezes his shoulder. "Hey, chin up, tiger. It'll be okay - whatever's going on with you and them, it'll work out."

Yuri doubts it, but he smiles weakly anyways. "Thanks, Beka."

"Text me when you get there, okay? Go get your flight. And have fun."

Yuri really laughs at that. "Oh, I'll try."

\---

The flight there is a lot of stress. For the first few hours, he spends some time crafting up a lie - one that involves him staying with Otabek for the coming week. The rest of the flight is spent texting Victor and Yuuri in their group chat, the conversation tense and bordering on a fight - they really want him home by that night, but he keeps arguing that he wants to stay with Beka for the coming week.

By the time the plane lands, the conversation is finally at somewhat of a stalemate - Victor and Yuuri aren't happy whatsoever that he's not planning on coming home, but there's not really much they can do about it - they're already back at Victor's apartment, and to their knowledge, Yuri is still in Japan. 

Yuri texts Otabek in the cab on the way to the heat house, lying that he's back home. He doesn't text back when Otabek asks how Victor and Yuuri are doing - he's getting pretty sick of lying. He's been actively lying to Victor and Yuuri for a couple hours, and not only does he feel bad about it, but it's also mentally exhausting.

His phone buzzes just as he's checking into the front desk. He glances down at the screen, expecting another text from Otabek, but instead seeing another alarm alert.

_One hour left._

\---

Heat is just as hellish as Yuri remembers. He still cries and squirms, but this time he doesn't just cry for Victor, he also cries out for Yuuri - for the other Omega and his calming scent, his warm hugs, his loving character.

He can dimly recall his phone lighting up - only once or twice, to his memory. However, he's far too fucked up to read and reply to messages, or take phone calls. He can't even remember his phone passcode currently, and he can hardly speak coherently; texting is off the cards, since spelling isn't his strong suite right now. Heat leaves him essentially helpless; hell, it's an ordeal to even eat during heat - he needs heavy assistance by the staff (entirely composed of Omegas or Betas) to avoid making a mess of himself and spilling food all over the damn place. They help him to sit up - he can't even do that on his own.

By the time the week is over, it's such a relief to be able to finally shower - it feels like it's been forever since he's felt the spray of hot water against his body. He doesn't often think about how uncomfortable being constantly sticky is, but that's something that happens during heat.

Though the soap they provide here is supposed to be scent-blocking, Yuri still uses spray-on pheromone blocker in addition to his beta imitation ones once he's finished and dressed. Though he took the pills the literal moment his heat stopped, they still take quite a while to take effect - it'll be about 24 hours before he fully stops emitting Omega pheromones. Some Omegas choose to stay the additional 24 hours for the scent to stop, especially closeted Omegas like himself, but the scent blockers should really be enough - his scent levels are fairly low at the moment.

He check out at the front desk, glancing over and seeing a few other tired-looking Omegas - a group of teenage girls with matching phone cases - huddled together by a charging station, their phones plugged in as they scroll across the screens. Yuri itches to check his own phone, but despite not using his phone at all in the heat house, the battery is dead - it has been a week, after all. No matter how much Yuri wants to check his phone, his desire to just get out of here is far greater. Besides, Yuri can't recall too much activity from it, so he's sure it'll be fine if he just leaves without charging it.

Because of this, he doesn't notice that he has fifty-plus missed calls from Victor and Yuuri.

\---

He gets a cab home, feeling groggy and uncoordinated the whole way home - the same lovely after-effect of a heat that he'd experienced the last time. By the time he gets in the door, nothing sounds better than going back to sleep.

However, that idea is quickly put to rest when he walks in the front door. Yuuri is pacing anxiously while Victor talks on the phone, his accent more pronounced from stress. The entire atmosphere is very tense and uncomfortable.

Their heads both snap up as they hear the door, surprise on their features. As soon as they see that it's Yuri, their faces change again. Yuuri's shifts to something like exhausted relief, but Victor is _furious_.

"You know what, speak of the devil, he actually just got here. I'll call you back once I've spoken with him." Victor says into the receiver, voice icy. He presses the end call and sets the phone down. He turns to Yuri.

"So, Yura." Victor turns to him, his face deathly serious. "Care to tell us just where in the _fuck_ you've been for the past week?"

Yuri swallows, struggling to inhale; the angry pheromones Victor is emitting are making it hard to breath. "Otabek's."

"Oh don't give me that SHIT." Victor snarls, and the air is practically choking Yuri now. Yuuri's pheromones flare with irritation at Yuri, as well - something Yuri's hasn't smelled since they stopped fighting all the time, since they started being friends. "We couldn't get ahold of you, so we called Otabek, who said you weren't with him."

Yuri feels faint. "I didn't think you had his number."

"It was easy enough to message him on Twitter." Yuuri snaps, and god does Yuri feel stupid. Of fucking course they could find a way to contact Beka - they wouldn't have let Yuri go to a friend's if they had no way of getting in contact with them.

"That was over 24 hours ago - when you came in, I'd been on the phone with Otabek for an hour and a half. The next call I made was going to be to the police, to file a report on you. And you come in here, lying to me and saying you've been at Otabek's? We were scared shitless!" At this, Victor stands and strides towards Yuri, his Alpha showing in the aggression in his steps. Yuri's back hits the door, trying his best to stay calm, his control rapidly slipping.

"I think you need to tell us now, honestly." Victor growls, seemingly not noticing Yuri's fear. "Where were you?"

All at once, it's too much. Yuri can't deal with this right now; deal with an angry Alpha - an angry Victor - after he's just been through the worst week of his entire year. He can't stay calm any longer.

The dam breaks.

His scent blocker spray can do nothing once his Omega distress pheromones start - there's too many, they're too potent. Victor looks terribly confused for a moment, turning from Yuri to look at Yuuri, thinking his fiancee the source of this. However, there's no fear in Yuuri's eyes.

Just shocked realization.

Victor turns back to Yuri, and in his shocked face, Yuri can see that he _knows_. Yuri feels sick to his stomach at the same time he feels the tears drip down from his chin onto his jacket, darkening the fabric with saltwater.

"At a safehouse." He answers, voice breaking.

\---

The room is dark as Yuri lays on his bed, curled around a pillow under the covers, breathing still occasionally hitching with little aftershocks of sobs.

He's been crying for quite a while now.

It took some time for Yuri to calm down to this point. Everything just made the situation worse for a while. Like when Victor realized just how upset he was making Yuri and tried to calm him down - his scent instinctively shifting from aggressive to calming - but that just made Yuri cry harder.

He was almost glad he couldn't talk through his tears - he was afraid he would have told Victor the exact reason he was upset. Why the calming pheromones just made everything worse.

_You chose_ him. _You're not my Alpha, no matter how much I want you to be. So don't pretend you are._

It didn't make it any better when Victor reached out and touched Yuri's arm - Yuri had flinched back so hard against the door that it shook the hinges.Victor had jerked back like he'd been burned when Yuri flinched from him, which made things worse. Yuuri's own distress pheromones start up at this point, and Yuri could sense him anxiously hovering behind Victor - unsure if he should try to comfort the other Omega or not.

After a few moments, Victor had ended up scooping the blond up, carrying him into Yuri's room despite his kicks and cries, before setting him down on the bed. Yuuri, who had followed them, gently asked Yuri, "Do you want us to stay?"

He had shook his head, and both of them left to give him some space.

He's glad - he doesn't want them to see him cry like this.

He's not even that upset that they found out, really - he's not afraid they'll hurt him or hate him for being an Omega. Hell, Yuuri is an Omega - he doesn't really have to be scared of them knowing. He's upset that he had no control over how they found out, that he made himself lie to them for so long while they clearly care for him, that he's still in pain from heat, that Victor got so angry and aggressive and scared him - everything just comes to a head at once. Yuri buries his face in a pillow to quiet his cries.

He can hear Victor and Yuuri's voices, muffled by distance and walls, but he can tell they're speaking to people about Yuri - he wonders how many people know he's "missing", how many people he's scared with his carelessness. The thought doesn't help him calm down at all.

He eventually quiets, lying on his bed and staring at the wall, the color muted by the soft darkness of his room. His eyes and mind are tired from crying, but he's still in that calming-down phase, still too wound up to sleep.

As his breathing slowly stops hitching, however, the exhaustion of both the past week and the past hour or so catches up to him and he sinks into unconsciousness.

\---

When he wakes up, it's morning.

He can hear Yuuri and Victor's voices, soft behind his closed door. He's a bit afraid to see them - not because he's afraid of _them_ , but he's scared of how the conversation will go.

But he's done hiding. It's caused him nothing but trouble.

He pulls himself out of bed and pushes the door open, hearing the voices in the kitchen pause when they hear him. He cautiously pads down the hall, only to see them sitting at the table, his place set with a plate - pancakes.

"Hey." He ventures.

"Hey yourself." Yuuri responds, voice kind. It makes Yuri grimace - they're being so nice to him, even after he was so careless and scared them so badly.

He goes to address it, starting, "About last night-" but Victor cuts him off.

"We can talk about that after you've eaten. Yuuri made it for you - it'll make you feel better."

What a change from last year's post-heat, Yuri thinks as he sits to eat. Yuuri stands up and goes into his room, and Victor watches Yuri as he sits down, his gaze intense, somehow. Yuri takes a forkful of the pancakes, and fuck if they don't taste bizarre - not bad, but just strange.

"What is this? They taste different than usual." Yuri remarks.

Yuuri re-emerging from the room with a hairbrush, answering,"They have Cool-Down mixed in - it's a supplement that I take after my heats end. After heat, a lot of Omegas get really tired, just because heat exerts so much energy, and this is supposed to give you a boost after heat ends." He waves the hairbrush in Yuri's direction. "Yuri, can I brush your hair? It looks like it hasn't been brushed in a while, and if you just finished heat, I'd guess that'd be about right."

Definitely different from the reaction last year. "Uh, sure." Yuri stammers, not really sure what to make of this. He expected a lot of disappointment and head-shaking, not this pampering.

He does feel a lot better after eating, and his hair look a lot better in the mirror when he brushes his teeth. Of course, during heat, his appearance had been one of the last things on his mind - he'd been too focused on just trying to do simple things, like feed himself. And he couldn't even do that by himself, in the end.

A few minutes later, he's sitting across from Yuuri and Victor on the couch - they're at one end, and he's at the other. No one says anything for a few seconds, before Victor speaks up.

"So, where do we start?"

"Probably with the fact that I'm actually an Omega." Yuri says, and god does it feel weird to say that out loud after he's been hiding it for years.

"Yeah, I reckon that'd be a good place to start." Yuuri interjects. "Why did you hide it?"

"I was scared." Yuri answers.

There's pain in Victor's voice when he speaks again. "Scared of us?"

Yuri shakes his head. "Not scared of you two. Just...scared. I guess it's because in the family where I grew up, being an Omega was considered shameful." Yuri explains. "My father...he really hated male Omegas. He used to tell my mother that if I presented as an Omega, he'd throw me off the roof."

Yuri just says the words like they're a matter of fact, and it's only after he looks up and sees the horrified looks on his roommate's faces that he realizes that might actually be pretty fucked up.

(There's a lot of things, still, that he's finding out aren't a normal part of childhood, and were only part of his because he was in an unhealthy place. It's like the time Otabek saw the scars on his arms from the childhood cigarette burns he was given as punishments for misbehaving, and Yuri was surprised to find that Otabek didn't have any. He also wasn't really sure, initially, why Otabek had freaked out so thoroughly - he hadn't known that it wasn't normal.)

"He said he would kill you if you were an Omega?" Yuuri asked, voice disbelieving.

"Yeah, he had a really bad attitude about male Omegas, and the same kind of attitude about gay people. It made me kind of develop this really deep-rooted need to hide that I was gay, and later on, that I was an Omega. And that persisted even after the state took me away from mom and him, and grandpa took me in - even though I think grandpa would be fine with it, I was still scared. Same with you guys."

"I'm really sorry you had to go through that, Yuri - that's seriously messed up." Yuuri said, shaking his head.

"I'm just glad that I'm here now - I know you guys would never hurt me like he threatened to." Yuri replied. "I mean, I was really scared of telling you guys, but...I think I'm glad that you know, now. It's like a relief - I don't have to hide anymore."

"Yeah, thank god. No more secret heats, okay?" Victor asks. "We were really scared when you went missing - we never even considered that it might be for a heat, we had no idea that you were an Omega." Victor runs a hand through his hair, shoving his fringe back with the motion. "Yuri and I were really scared that you had run off because you were upset about what happened at the hotel, on the night after Four Continents."

"Because I asked you to kiss me?" Yuri asks, without even thinking.

Two pairs of eyes instantly zero in on him.

"So you _do_ remember what you said." Victor states. It's not a question.

Yuri's mind races as he realizes his mistake, but for all it's speed, all his brain's doing is grasping at straws and coming up empty. He sighes, realizing he's been caught in yet another lie - he can't rectify this slip, and in the end, that might be for the best. No more lies.

"Yeah. I do."

"Why did you tell us you didn't remember?" Yuuri asks. His tone is soft, rather than accusatory, but it hurts all the same - this is something that Yuri really doesn't want to talk about.

"Same reason, mainly - I was scared of your reaction." Yuri mumbles, wishing they would just get on with the rejection already. He wants it to be over with.

"Scared that we wouldn't feel the same way?" Victor probes gently, and there it is - the start of the "let's just be friends." Despite the fact that it's not funny at all, Yuri feels laughter in the back of his throat - born from hysterics rather than amusement.

"Well, duh," he affirms in a kind of breathy laugh, "it's impossible that you would feel the same way! I mean, you're both full-grown and I'm just a teenager. And you have each other - you're engaged, for god's sake! Why would you want me if you already have your other half?" Yuri's voice breaks as he continues, his words shaky. "And even though I knew you guys wouldn't feel the same way, I was still scared to tell you, because I thought you'd be disgusted - disgusted that I would come in and try to ruin your perfect relationship. I thought you'd hate me." Yuri buries his face in his hands, almost afraid to ask his next question from behind his palms.

"... _Do_ you guys hate me now?"

Soft tugs on his arms pull his hands from his face, and suddenly both Victor and Yuuri are pulling one of Yuri's hands into their own.

"Of course we don't hate you, Yuri. We could never hate you." Yuuri responds, staring into Yuri's eyes as he squeezes his hand. Victor doesn't respond, simply staying quiet for a moment. He stares down at Yuri's hand as he traces patterns over the palm, seemingly musing something over.

After a score of seconds, he raises his gaze to Yuri and speaks.

"You're very dense, Yura."

Out of all the things Yuri had thought Victor might say to him as ways of a rejection, this was certainly quite low on the list. "What?"

"It's quite dense of you to say that it's impossible that we could feel the same way. Especially after all the hints we've been dropping - having you live with us, the movie night cuddling, all the hugging and kissing?" Victor stares into his eyes. "We like you, Yura. Both of us."

Yuri stares at him, gears grinding to a halt in his mind. He wasn't prepared to hear those words in that order. Yuuri squeezes his hand, bringing him back down to Earth.

"But...you guys already love each other. You're engaged - aren't you like each other's other halves?" Yuri asks. He's still reeling that such a happily engaged couple would admit to liking another person. Yuri's always been taught that romantic love is between two people, and two people only. He's thought he was selfish for wanting both Yuuri and Victor - he can't believe they would admit to such a thing.

"No one is a person's "other half", Yuri." Yuuri amends. "Victor reminds me that I'm already whole. And you remind me of the same thing."

"You can have multiple friends, can't you?" Victor adds. "If you can have platonic love for more than one person, why shouldn't the same be true for romantic love? Monogamy isn't a "purer" kind of love than polyamory - they're both love."

Despite the hopefulness that's starting to unfurl in Yuri, a terrible dread still looms over him. He startles when he realizes what it is.

"This...I don't think you guys are like this, but I just need to hear you tell me - this isn't just because I'm an Omega, is it?" Yuri asks, voice wavering.

Yuuri just blinks, while Victor looks scandalized. "Of course not, Yura - hell, we were flirting with you when we still thought you were a beta. We like you because you're Yuri Plisetsky, not because of your gender."

That last sentence really drives it home - _we like you because you're Yuri Plisetsky_ \- and it starts to finally sink in. "You really like me." Yuri says quietly, half to them, half to himself. "Holy shit."

Yuuri laughs then, throwing his arms around Yuri. "Yes, we like you. We like you lots."

The couch shifts, and Yuri feels Victor's arms around both of them. "Yuuri speaks nothing but the truth," he affirms playfully.

Yuri swallows hard, trying to keep tears at bay - tears that are for a very different reason than those from last night.

"I like you guys too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, I was grinning like an idiot the entire time I was proofreading and editing this. I started cackling in the car earlier because I got so excited when I decided I was going to upload this tonight (though it's technically morning in my timezone now, haha). This isn't the end - I'm planning for one more chapter, an epilogue of sorts! It's so weird to think that this fic is finally reaching an end - a thrilling conclusion, if you will :)  
> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, loves! Leave me a review, and I'll write a reply - it might take a while, but I promise I will!  
> See you guys next chapter!  
> <3


	6. Epilogue

Three people are cuddled up on the couch together in the apartment, the room dark as a movie intro starts on screen.

Victor drapes an arm over Yuri's shoulder, and Yuri leans into the touch, like he wouldn't have a month ago. Yuuri's using the blond omega's lap as a pillow, his head on Yuri's thigh as their fingers interlace, the first scenes of the film flickering across the screen. Yuri squeezes Katsudon's hand, grinning despite his best efforts.

Things are so much easier now.

It's been about a week now since that day when everyone confessed to each other on this very couch - a week since Yuuri and Victor have become his boyfriends.

The movie is good, but being wrapped up between Yuuri and Victor is better. Yuuri's scent is warm as ever, and Victor's is still intoxicating, and he can tell from their pheromones just how happy they are to have him cuddled up with them. He almost wishes they could smell his, too - he's still on scent suppressants, though. He's been using them for a long time, and he's just more comfortable staying on them, for now. Although, when he's not going out in public, he doesn't bother with the beta spray anymore - there's no reason to when it's just them, now. He supposes he doesn't smell like much of anything at the moment.

Somewhere during the course of the movie, Yuri's other hand finds it's way into Yuuri's hair, carding through the thick, inky locks. Victor's arm ends up falling from Yuri's shoulder to snake around his back and hug him closer by his waist, resting his own head against Yuri's. Yuri can't feel Victor's smile against his hair, but he can smell it in the alpha's pleased scent.

He drifts off like that.

When he wakes, he's in his own bed, but in addition to the blankets, Victor's jacket is draped over him.

Yuri buries his face in it and breathes in, smiling happily at the comforting, familiar scent.

\---

"Oh, Yuri, my sweet child, I am so glad to see you again."

"I called you, Dedushka, you knew I was okay." Yuri answers, gently hugging his grandfather back. Yuuri and Victor had called Dedushka in their Great Quest To Locate Yurio, because of course they did - "Is Yuri staying at your house, by any chance? No? Well, rats. Oh, why are we asking? Because he's missing and no one knows where he is, of course!"

Well, it didn't go down exactly like that, but Dedushka had still been alerted that Yuri was AWOL, and of course he was scared for the blond. It makes sense that Yuuri and Victor would call Yuri's family, but Yuri just wishes that his grandfather hadn't had to worry about him.

Yuri had called Dedushka the day after he got home, along with Otabek, both of whom were worried sick. He'd promised to come and visit his grandfather to explain everything - Dedushka had made him put Victor and Yuuri on the phone to assure him that Yuri was, in fact, home and safe. Otabek, on the other hand, had promised that he was flying into Russia at the first chance he got to come and talk to Yuri in person - a promise that sounded suspiciously like a threat.

"Come now Yuri, sit with me on the sofa." Dedushka motions to his grandson. As they sit, he fixes Yuri with a stern look. "I think you've got some explaining to do, young man."

"I've got a _lot_ of explaining to do." Yuri agrees.

\---

"Are you serious?" Otabek gasps, staring at Yuri across the table of the diner.

Yuri shushes him, glancing around - thankfully, the restaurant is mostly empty. His paranoia that someone might take an interest and listen in seems largely unfounded - the only other people in here are some teens instagraming their food, and two women, one of whom is holding a baby, chatting. The waitstaff are huddled together at a booth, talking to each other and texting on their phones.

"Yeah, I'm serious." Yuri answers. "I've been suppressing my scent ever since I was tested - before I even presented." Otabek furrows his brow, leaning across the table into Yuri's personal bubble. His gaze focuses on the blond as he inhales, but he only looks confused afterwards.

"If you're an omega who's suppressing his scent, why do you smell like a beta? You've always smelled like a beta." Otabek asks, sounding confused and slightly suspicious, like he's calling Yuri out on bullshit. Yuri just sprays a little blue bottle onto his wrist and holds it out to Otabek, who smells it.

"It smells like...you?" He asks, the confusion quickly overtaking the suspicion on his face. Yuri hands him the bottle, and Otabek flips it over, reading the label out loud.

"Beta Release?" He reads it like a question.

"The highest-rated Beta pheromone imitation spray on the market." Yuri replies.

"Woah." Otabek sits back, looking a little dazed. "That's...pretty shocking, honestly."

Yuri's gut twists uncomfortably at this. Thus far, everyone's reacted pretty well to finding out he's an omega - Yuuri, Victor, and Dedushka. Is Otabek going to break this streak?

His concern must be etched on his face, because when Otabek catches his gaze, his face shifts. "Yuri, are you okay? You look a little like you're about to cry."

"When you say it's shocking, do you mean...that it's bad?" Yuri asks, voice small.

Otabek is still for a few moments as he processes the words, but once he realizes once Yuri's asking, he speaks quickly. "No! Not at all. Sorry, I phrased that badly - it's not like I think anything less of you. Beta, omega, alpha, whatever you are - you're still Yuri," Otabek says, reaching across the table to grab Yuri by the hand. "You're still my friend. And nothing's going to change that, okay?"

Yuri just smiles and nods, not trusting his voice at the moment. Otabek smiles back, dropping his gaze to the table as he speaks again, cheeks tinged pink. "When I said it was shocking, all I meant was that I was surprised to find out you were an omega. This whole time, I had no idea."

Yuri grins at him, finding his voice to tease Otabek. "That was kind of the idea."

Otabek laughs, reaching over the table to playfully punch Yuri on the arm. "Yeah, I guess so. Just don't go AWOL again, okay? We were all really worried about you." His face shifts to something soft and warm. "I'm really glad you're safe, Yuri."

Yuri feels a warmth spill over in his chest, smiling as he replies.

"Thanks, Beka."

\---

"Ow, don't fucking poke at it!"

"Sorry," Yuuri replies, retracting his hand from Yuri's leg, not looking at all regretful for prodding the new bruise covering the young Russian's knee - the skin slowly darkening from red to purple. "Man, you fell pretty hard." He grinned at Yuri. "Never seen someone bounce off the ice before - I'll go get you an ice pack."

"He wouldn't be bouncing off anything if he had just taken a break when I told him to, instead of pushing himself too hard." Victor chided as Yuuri unlaced his skates and Yuri glowered at the alpha. "You should listen to your ice dancing coach."

Yuri gave Victor a Look™. "It's called figure skating. No one calls it ice dancing"

"I do!" Victor exclaimed, holding his hand to his heart in mock-offense. "Ice skating is just like a dance, after all - we have choreography, music, the like. You can even have a dance partner!"

"You're full of it." Yuri rolled his eyes, getting to his feet and walking on the blades towards the skating entrance. As soon as his blades touched the ice, Victor grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him into the middle of the rink.

"Here, I'll show you." Victor insisted over Yuri's protests. "Once I show you how fun dancing is on the ice, you'll be calling it ice dancing instead of figure skating too."

"I'd rather die." Yuri huffed, but allowed Victor to pull him along to the center of the ice.

"Oh, don't be so dramatic." Victor replied, clicking the remote through tracks until he found the one he wanted, the music starting up from the radio on the side of the rink as he took Yuri's hands in his own. "Just watch my feet and follow my lead; it'll be fun."

Yuri would never admit it, but it...actually was kind of cool. The dance music echoed off the walls of the skating rink, the wide-open area giving it a beautiful, almost haunting echo. It paired nicely with the chill of the arena - the whole building was fairly cold, but there was something special about the chill of the air right above the ice. The way the cold radiated from the floor, projecting up onto Yuri; like heat from the sky on a clear summer day.

There was also something almost magical about the way his body moved over the ice, supported by his skates. Of course, he was used to skating by himself, but right now, Victor was moving with him. It was amazing the difference a partner made - Yuri almost felt like Victor's body was an extension of his own. They moved in sync, coordinated - Yuri was aware of the weight and motion of two bodies, instead of just his own.

Yuri kept his eyes on Victor's feet for most of the dance, to watch the motions he needed to follow. Whenever they made a sharp turn, he could see the fine ice dust that the blades kicked into the air glimmer in the afternoon sun shining in through the rink's windows - like sand sparkling in the light, lifted from the dunes by a desert gust. It was ethereal.

This was about as close to ballroom dancing as Yuri had ever gotten. He wouldn't admit it to Victor under threat of death, but...the alpha was right. It _was_ fun.

The song's notes faded out to nothing as the two of them slide to a stop in the rink, the echos of music ringing out among the walls of the rink for a moment of two longer, before stilling as well. Yuri lifted his gaze from their skates to look up at Victor's face, and was struck by the sight. Victor was gorgeous - his silver hair tousled and mused from the practice, face flushed from the cold, his form colored in pastels from the light of the setting sun.

He grinned at Yuri, seemingly oblivious to the younger's awe. "So, are you going to start calling 'figure skating' 'ice dancing' now?"

Yuri didn't respond; instead just staring into those blue eyes for a long moment before he spoke.

"I want to kiss you, Vitya."

Victor blinked in surprise, before letting out a soft laugh as he tugged Yuri closer by his hands. "Never one for subtlety, were you, Yura?" He murmured fondly in Russian, brushing Yuri's hair back out of his face as he leaned down to kiss him.

The taste of Victor was the same way he smelled - like summer evening in the mountains; warm as the afternoon's air and as exciting as the sight of the dusk sky, as magical as mistaking airplanes for shooting stars. Yuri shivered and reached up to lock his arms behind Victor's neck. Victor threaded one hand through Yuri's hair, pressing the other against the small of his back.

"Hey, what'd I miss?" Yuuri's voice came from the side of the rink, as he came to skate in circles around them - skating backwards, the show-off.

"We're having a kissing contest." Victor replied cheerily.

"Ooooh, fun! Who's winning?" Yuuri asked, the volume of this voice rising and falling as he moved.

"Me." Victor laughed.

Yuri shook Victor in mock-anger by the shoulders, glaring playfully. "LIES."

Yuuri glided to a stop behind Yuri, arms gently encircling him, hands locking together over the younger omega's stomach as he rested his chin on Yuri's shoulder. "Can I join the kissing contest too?"

Yuri twisted around on the ice to face Yuuri, resting his arms on the older skater's shoulders. "Yeah, but you're gonna lose to me; the reigning champion."

"We'll see about that." Yuuri laughed, leaning in and kissing Yuri.

\---

"How are you feeling, Mr. Plisetsky?"

"Exhausted." Yuri responded, running a hand through his still-damp hair. It felt amazing to finally have it clean again - over the past week, it had gotten pretty grimy, like it did every time he had a heat.

"That's understandable." The nurse responded sympathetically. "You can follow me out to the reception area, if you've got everything." She started down the corridor, and Yuri tugged the handle of his wheeled backup up and followed her.

"Here's a card for your next appointment. See you then, Mr. Plisetsky." The nurse smiled, opening the door for him.

"There you are!" came a voice by the entrance. Yuri looked up from the card to see Yuuri and Victor in the waiting room of the heat house. He didn't even have time to reply before Yuuri had him swept up in a hug.

"We missed you, Yurio! This week without you passed so slowly." Yuuri said, squeezing the younger skater.

"We were about to ask the reception desk about you again." Victor remarked, tugging Yuri away from Yuuri and into a hug of his own. "I think we came too early - you said your release was at three?"

"No, three-thirty." Yuri responded, shaking his head. The motion causes his damp hair to whip around and stick to his face, making him grimace.

"That was why it took so long, then." Victor laughed, brushing the wet strands away from the blond's face. He took the backpack's handle from Yuri's hands and replaced it with a water bottle, the liquid inside tinted purple and clearly not water. "Here - it's a shake made with Cool-Down that Yuuri made for you."

"Thanks, Yuuri." Yuri said, taking a drink. "God - I'm exhausted even though I did practically nothing but sleep for the whole week. Sleep as well as I could, anyways."

"Sleeping through heat is the best option. It's always draining though, regardless," Yuuri agrees, reaching over and taking Yuri's unoccupied hand.

Victor hummed and slung his arm over Yuri's shoulders as they walked towards the exit together. "We can take a nap together when we get back, if you want." He leaned his head down briefly to nuzzle against Yuri. "It's good to have you back, Yuri."

Yuri smiled, walking side-by-side out of the clinic with the two people he loved.

"It's good to be back."

_~Fin~_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that's the end of The Closest Star! This fanfic has honestly been a blast to write, and I'm so glad that so many people enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! Shoutout to your guys - to everyone who's read this and left comment or kudos. This has been a hell of a ride, and it's all thanks to you guys. Love you, and I hope to see you in another story <3  
> -Sky


End file.
